1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a portable and removable manually operated windshield wiper which can be easily clamped on to the windshield of a boat, tractor, atv o the like for safely, simply and quickly removing water or debris from a windshield.
When operating a small fishing boat, pontoon or pleasure boat, water will often times splash onto the boats windshield, thereby obstructing the operator's view. Small fishing boats and other pleasure craft typically do not come from the manufacturer with a windshield wiper. Thus, the pleasure craft operator is required to clean off the windshield by either stopping the boat or attempting to clean the windshield while also operating the boat. If the weather is inclement, it may be dangerous or, at the very least, inconvenient to stop the boat to clean the windshield. On the other hand, cleaning the windshield while also operating the boat is dangerous and could result in boats colliding or the boat hitting an object in the water. Hence, there is a significant need for a portable and removable windshield wiper that can be easily attached to the windshield of a boat thereby allowing the boat operator to safely clean the boat windshield.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art portable and removable windshield wipers have focused almost exclusively for use on automobiles. While these prior art portable and removable windshield wipers are effective for use on an automobile, they are not able to be easily used on a boat, tractor, atv or the like. An example of a prior art portable and removable windshield wiper includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,303 to Penn which discloses the use of magnets or suction cups to attach the portable and removable windshield wiper to the metal surface of an automobile. However, the windshield of a boat or tractor typically lacks the requisite metal surface for the use of a magnetically attaching portable and removable windshield wiper. The use of suction cups creates the possibility of the cups losing their suction resulting in the entire assembly coming off of the windshield.
While the prior art portable and removable windshield wipers may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for use on a boat, tractor or atv. In these respects, the portable and removable windshield wiper assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of safely, simply and easily cleaning the windshield of a boat, tractor or atv.